googlethrow

Any tips on how to do that? Over the last year or so I find that I have lost passion for both my job and my side-projects. While I used to be happy working 60-80 hours a week between my job and side-projects, I now find both of them mundane and can't pull off such focus. With side-projects it probably boils down to not finding success...

The total comp at Google Zürich starts at 160K chf/year for new grads. It can go much higher with counteroffers.

At Google Zürich the total comp starts at 160K chf/year for fresh grads and with counteroffers can go much higher.

Isn't this against the spirit of globalization and free/open markets? Or is that just meant for companies to benefit from cheap labor but not for consumers to be able to shop around?

(These are general questions, I don't necessarily mean that you are pro-globalization.)

Can you please elaborate or provide some pointers?

This sounds harsh. In cases you are a significant contributor to a launch it should be signifiend in the "launch entry" (there's an internal tracking tool for all launches).

You then of course need to sell your contribution:

  - It was nothing less than ciritical for the success of the project
  - It required deep technical knowledge
  - It required communication with other teams
  - It required mastery of several technologies, etc.

The teammate in question should hepefully support these claims.

Googler here: I think that gaming metrics is not that easy. Here by metrics I mean things like:

  - Your impact on revenue (if you work in ads)
  - Your impact on search quality (as assesed by independent raters)
  - Etc.

If you can "game" these, I think you are solid.

My advice would be to try to come up with your own project ideas (related to what your or other very close team is already working on). Often times, people stick around in their teams for a long time and there is not much inovation -- you are a new guy can bring some fresh perspective.

People who get promoted the fastest are usually those who are self driven and start projects from their own initiative.

Google is changing the promotion process such that managers have much more power (for all promotions up to level 5 == senior swe).

Previously it used to be, as Michael says, very much in the hands of the committee members who never heard about you or even your team.

Now the committee will be composed of your manager and some other two managers from a related team. The committee will not see your own promotion rationale or your own description of your projects and achievements, rather it will be the job of your manager to present these points and advocate on your behalf. The committee (except for your manager) will also see only limited peer feedback compared to before -- no free form text, only multiple choice questions/answers.

If all three managers agree that you meet the bar, you get promoted.

Googler here: The google performance and promotion process does, in fact, rely on reviews from your peers. The process happens once every 6 months, every other being non-mandatory.

Although your peers saying you were helpful is not enough, you need to demonstrate impact (and other attributes depending on your level).